Confessions of a filmoholic

Let me tell you about my another favourite, a film I really enjoy coming back to, especially when feeling down, since it is pretty uplifting story. It also is set in a very appealing environment - on a road with a rock band in 1970's America, the time in history when the best things were created in music. In Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous you really can see the climate of creativity and joy people were experiencing then, and though the dark sides of rockers' lives are present too (drugs, loneliness etc.) they in the end don't overshadow the feeling of youth and happiness. We all have our cherished memories from childhood, Crowe's happen to be the ones shown in his movie. If you want to trigger some nostalgia for the long gone, Almost Famous is there for you. Yes, the grass was greener then.
9/10

The book vs. the movie part 3. I have got another thing to add to the never-to-be-solved issue if reading the book before seeing the film that was based on it enhances or spoils the experience. You may already know my point of view as for two titles: Watchmen and 2001: A Space Odyssey, now let me tell you about The Road. The movie is based on a brilliant novel of the same title, written by Cormac McCarthy, which won numerous award, including the Pulitzer Prize. So, according to the theory, that you can't make a good
movie out of a great literary source, John Hillcoat's piece should be watchable at best, especially if you had read the book before. Well, this is not the case, simply because the film is as good. Somehow the director managed to make a very faithful adaptation, which not only doesn't feel overshadowed by McCarthy's masterpiece, but also, thanks to the amazing performances from the cast, makes it more heartfelt. To summarize, it doesn't matter if you read the book or not - the film is brilliant enough to entertain you anyway.
8/10

Not very often I watch a movie I haven't heard anything about. Well, I simply do not like to take a risk. Yesterday I did - honestly, I wasn't familiar with the fact of existence of The Squid and the Whale - and I wasn't disappointed at all. It is a small, independent film, sometimes funny, but dealing with serious issues. Thanks to  great writing and impeccable performances from the likes of Jeff Daniels and Jesse Eisenberg it never loses the balance and is really entertaining. The film's biggest drawback is its length - it lasts for mere 75min. Since we are used to movies that usually are twice longer, the moment we get attached to the characters and become really interested in how their problems are going to be solved, it ends. Still, when The Squid... lasts it is a worthwhile experience, one more reason for it being it features Pink Floyd's song Hey You in a pivotal role.
8/10

Masterpiece time! No, really. There Will Be Blood is without a doubt the best film of the last years, which makes it one of the best cinematic experiences ever. Paul Thomas Anderson has always been keeping good form, making the likes of Boogie Nights, or Magnolia, but in his latest outing he simply committed a flawless piece. I won't be writing for too long, there is really not much to add - if you want to see an important film, dealing with serious moral issues, with impeccable performances from some of the best actors out there, with astonishing music and cinematography, the film that is intense and addictive, There Will Be Blood is just for you.
10/10

Masterpiece time! Or is it? Recently I have seen 2001: A Space Odyssey, God knows which time. I have always adored it, but since I started writing this blog I guess I became a bit more critical regarding films, then I used to be. I realise this movie is considered as one of the best ever, but there are some bits that don't quite appeal to me. But first things first: the positives. 2001... aged extremely well. Most of the time you watch it in an awe, since the special effects are really impressive and the whole thing still looks futuristic. The story is engaging as well, the middle part of the film is science-fiction thriller at it's very best. But there are two issues. First is the longevity of some shots. Sometimes the viewer feels like shouting to Mr. Kubrick: get on with it! The other thing is the highly confusing ending. Unlike in case of Watchmen, I'm really happy I had read the book, the film is based on - otherwise I wouldn't have had a slightest idea of what is going on during the last chapter of the movie. Of course, after all that, is still is a bloody good  film, and if you haven't seen it yet, don't waste any more time. It is not flawless but it is a must-see.
8/10

I am really running out of ideas what to write about. Not a very good sign after two months of active blogging. The thing is, why should I write about films everybody likes? If they have read 673 positive reviews of, let's say Lord Of The Rings, why would they enjoy reading 674th? And opposite - does anyone need convincing, that Alien Vs Predator is crap? I don't think so. So how about a few words about a not-too-bad, (but at the same time not-too-special) little film, hardly anybody had a chance to watch? Like Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel - a quirky science-fiction comedy about a bunch of guys who find a time-hole in the gents' at a pub. It is quite smartly written, the plot is pretty engaging, the jokes are hit and miss and there are 7 actors in it. Really. Plus extras. Not a waste of time then, but if I didn't see it for free, I'd say it's a waste of money. To end this kind of pointless review: bare in mind, that if you are a SF fan, you can add an extra point to the score below.
5/10  

Right, who watched Watchmen? It is a peculiar beast. Last night I saw it for the second time and I still can't make up my mind what to think about it. The problem is, that just before the film came out, I read the comic book it is based on, and believe me, it is brilliant. If Zack '300' Snyder's movie was disappointing, writing about it would be an easy task. Luckily it is not. What I like about it is how dark it is - bloody and brutal - a thing you rarely see in a summer blockbuster. It is also serious, taking on poignant moral issues, with an ambivalent ending. You can't do anything but admire the filmmakers' courage - they actually spent $130m to show us this disturbing psychological drama. Also, kudos to the writing team, who managed to transform the complicated graphic novel into a more-or-less coherent movie. So, what is my problem? Well, the film is TOO faithful to its literary source, both on the visual level and plot-wise. It is so stylised you can't really engage with the characters and if you had read the book, there isn't anything that you wouldn't expect. Also, you miss 'I wonder how they showed...' feeling, typical for other adaptations, just because everything looks identically as in the graphic novel. I hope you understand why I wish I hadn't read the book before I watched the film - I guess I would have liked it more then.
7/10  

Hi everyone! Let me tell you about one of my favourite movies - Little Miss Sunshine. It is generally considered a good film, but I get the impression it is not as popular as it deserves to be. It might be the title that puts people off, maybe they don't realise how contrary it is, that, in fact it is a story about members of a dysfunctional family learning to live with one another, and not a 100th version of Rocky, the "rise to fame against all odds" thing, this time set in the beauty contest environment. What you must love about this movie is how utterly witty it is - the dialogs shine, the characters (played by some of the best actors in the business) are true people with real problems and, let's not forget a very important part, it is absolutely hilarious. While I could point out a couple of scenes, that may not fit perfectly, this one should clearly be on your "to be watched asap" list.
9/10

I am getting old, I guess. Yesterday I started watching Michael Mann's Miami Vice, and did something, I hardly ever do - I turned it off before the end - after half an hour, to be honest. I simply decided that life's too short, to lose another hour of it for a pointless effort like that. And then I saw something quite different - The Conversation. I'll tell you, that switching from a modern action film to an over 30-years old drama was my best decision of the day. Francis Ford Coppola rarely makes movies that aren't awesome, and this one is no exception. For the first half it plays like a social drama with elements of a love story, where Gene Hackman plays a troubled and lost professional eavesdropper, only to become a gripping thriller after an hour. The film is written perfectly, the hints we get in order to be able to solve the mystery are put in the exactly right places, and Hackman's slow fall into paranoia is shown with unspeakable craft from both the actor and the director. A must-see, trust me on this one.
10/10